You will remember our efforts in August / September last year to have a form of protection developed for the site. This involved us in attending workshops to give input to an UDF at Prahran Town Hall. (Decent sandwhiches, a lot of butcher’s paper, coloured markers etc.)

Eventually Council decided on a 17 metre height limit and a maximum 250 units in line with the existing building of 5 storeys, a reasonable height given the low level surrounds. A good outcome given what Lend Lease wants.

In late 2011 the Council requested the Minister for Planning Matthew Guy to agree to the UDF with those heights and density to be exhibited and processed to the point when those height and density controls would be applied to the site.

In October 2011 Council also asked the Minister to agree to an Interim Planning Control (IPC) at that height and density to be placed on the site pending the completion of the UDF process.

Unfortunately and inexplicably the Minister, despite 400 community emails and the urging by the local liberal MPs, he refused this request two days before the commencement of the VCAT hearing. The Minister did, however, agree to the Council putting the UDF at the 17 metre height and 250 maximum density on exhibition and commencing the amendment process.

Around Tuesday 5th June you will receive a letter or email from the Council inviting you to again participate in the UDF development and view the UDF on exhibition at both the Malvern and Prahran Town Halls. The UDF will on exhibition for 4 weeks from 7 June to early July.

It is important that we again state out views. We worked hard to achieve those reasonable height and density limits and we need to reinforce the community view for a low level, low density development with a high percentage of real usable open space within the site.

This can all seem too much at a time when we have to deal with our VCAT battle. Council does not have any choice about the timing as the Minister made it clear that he expected the UDF process to start immediately.

Although though not incorporated in the Planning Scheme, it is a Council-adopted document and Council is asking VCAT to give it great weight. If Lend Lease loses its appeal the UDF will be most important and will set limits on any future developments for this site so that is why our input is vital. Should Lend Lease’s appeal be successful we are not sure about the future of the UDF. It could still be a proposal that Council may be able to use to negotiate with the developers. Time will tell.

This development means traffic gridlock, overflowing train stations and tram stops, no more on-street car parking, a blighted skyline and less privacy for current residents. It will also impinge on adjoining public land. It defies the lowrise local residential style.

This development will set a precedent for further development.

This is a rare opportunity for Stonnington to increase open space, develop a school or a stellar medium density residential development. We do not need another Docklands.

Already we know that Toorak Station is within developers' sites. How long before Hawksburn and Armadale are redeveloped?

Stonnington Council - after much campaigning - refused the permit but developer Lend Lease successfully overturned this decision at VCAT. This VCAT decision is in turn being appealed in the Supreme Court in April 2013.

Our opponent is smart, moneyed, experienced and well connected. We won't win this without your help.

Lend Lease has 'consulted' but never compromised. They entirely underestimated our ability to fight their plan.

Reading this is just the beginning - we need you to work with us to fight the towers.